Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva Review

Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva review.

The sequel to Horror in the High Desert ups the intensity of the original by sustaining it for far longer. It can’t match the peak of the first film’s final act…but the ride to get there is more fun.

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Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva

Directed by Dutch Marich

Written by Dutch Marich

Starring Suziey Block, Brooke Bradshaw, Solveig Helene, David Nichols Jr. and Marco Antonio Parra

Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva Review

Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva proves that the format used by the original found footage/mockumentary film is no fluke.  In some ways it perfects the formula.  In one specific way it falls short.  Overall, however, this second chapter is another effective entry in the growing High Desert series.  It promises to not be the last…which is actually its biggest misstep.

A year after the events of Horror in the High Desert we return to the Nevada desert to find that more people are experiencing strange occurrences.  Like its predecessor, Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva presents its stories in an Unsolved Mysteries like format.  Talking heads discuss things while found footage is shown of what happened. 

This time around the story (at first) is about Minerva.  Unlike Gary’s disappearance in the first movie…this time we are dealing with a murder.  Minerva’s story makes up most of Horror on the High Desert 2: Minerva.  It does eventually, and strangely, become about something else at some point…but we will get to that later. 

Horror in the High Desert 2 is almost the inverse of the first movie.  By that I mean…the first hour of this movie is scary as hell.  Whereas the original movie saved its terror for the final act…Minerva wastes no time.  Then it sustains it for an impressive length of time.  The other side of that coin, however, is that it lacks the incredible final act of the original.  But, again, we’ll get to that in a minute.

The Minerva section that comprises most of the film is incredible.  There is some very unnerving footage complimenting the sit down interviews this time around.  It uses sound better than it the first time…and it does so in some effectively terrifying ways.  There’s no way to really spoil the story of a movie like this because you know the fate of the character right away…but we don’t want to give away its tricks here either.  Just trust that there are some very creepy things in the found footage this time around.

The first hour or so of Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva is so good that it makes up for what we have to talk about now.  Unlike the first movie that expertly built to a thrilling conclusion…this chapter uses up its best ideas before the final act.  In fact, the movie becomes about a different person for some reason.  There’s another disappearance in the desert and we have more footage to watch!  Only this time it’s just not that good.  I understand that the movie is world building…but this isn’t effective in doing so.

Worse, the film ends with a tease for another movie.  Not a subtle one either.  As the movie ends we are told that there is an update to Gary’s disappearance in the original film.  Then it just ends.  It’s like they tacked a trailer onto the end of the movie.  That’s not the worst thing in the world…but it follows a final act that feels tacked on too.

Like the final act of the original, the Minerva aspect of Horror in the High Desert 2 sets a high bar for the series.  It’s odd that the two movies do the opposite things so well…and the parts they nailed the other time so blandly the other.  Maybe the inevitable third entry will take lessons learned by both and put together an all timer.  Writer/director Dutch Marich has certainly shown the ability to deliver genuinely frightening work.  He’s hit on something with this series that, despite the inorganic nature of announcing it will continue, makes future entries an exciting prospect.

Scare Value

Following up an interesting and effective little chiller with an equally good sequel, Dutch Marich gives us a more sustained terror this time around. While the ending is a bit disappointing in how overtly it sets up a third chapter…the overall quality of the piece makes up for it. The bottom line is that the Minerva story is so good and so scary that it’s a must watch. Bring on that third movie.

3.5/5

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